Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust
by KleopatraVII
Summary: Henry wasn't sure what to think. He had been kidnapped by his dad's ex-fiance and her boy friend, only to be taken to a different realm. It was a very good thing this wasn't his first time on Neverland. Season 3 AU. Everything is canon up until the start of Season 3 unless otherwise mentioned.
1. Running

Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

 **Hello all! If you have read my oneshot** _ **Paralysis**_ **, you might recall me mentioning a series of oneshots that I have been working on. Well, those oneshots have been put together into a chapter and I am not done with this. This is NOT a complete series of oneshots, or chapters, which ever you like. I will have to say, I enjoyed writing this immensely, especially the very last scene. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **On with the story!**

Chapter One: Running

Henry stumbled as his feet slammed into the sand. He tripped and rolled, landing on his back. On either side of him, Greg and Tamara both landed with a heavy thud. Henry felt a very strong emotion bubble up in him as he glared at the woman that had shot his dad and was the reason Neal Cassidy had fallen though the portal: hatred. Henry immediately struggled to his feet, a task that proved to be extremely difficult with his hands tied behind his back. He bit back a cry of pain as Greg pulled him to his feet, his hand gripping Henry's arm to the point of where it felt like it was going to break.

"I take it we made it?" Tamara said as she glanced around at the jungle in front of her.

"It would appear so," Greg replied, roughly pulling Henry's arm.

Henry cried out as Greg pulled so hard, his arm nearly pulled out of his socket. Greg shook him suddenly, hissing: "Shut up."

Henry bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes from the pain in his arm and the stress of the whole situation. He frantically looked around, taking in the jungle as his chest began to heave. Henry knew he was going to hyperventilate if he didn't calm down soon. Panic coursed through his system as he began to yank on his arm. "Let me go!" he cried, kicking Greg in the shins.

Greg yelped and dropped Henry, grapping his leg. Tamara quickly pulled out another gun and aimed it at Henry. Henry froze as he stared down the cold, hard barrel of the gun.

"Now, Henry," she chide. "I don't want to have to shoot you."

"Just like you didn't want to shoot my dad?" he asked, stubbornly, his voice quivering slightly.

Tamara shifted her grip on the gun, her lips thinning into a tight line. She quickly pointed the gun down and pulled the trigger. Henry yelped and jumped back, the bullet hitting the sand where his foot had been. He landed on his butt, shaking like a leaf. Tears fell from his eyes as sobs built up in his chest. He scrambled to his feet and ran. He felt Greg's finger brush the back of his scarf but he sped up, quickly dodging the hand and sprinting into the trees.

~~NEVERLAND~~

 _Henry ran through the jungle as fast as his feet could carry him. He laughed as the trees rushed by him, loving the feeling of the wind in his hair. He stopped suddenly, out of breath. He leaned against the tree. It was completely strange. This was all just a dream but he felt as if it was real. He giggled, remembering the feeling of the wind rushing past him, the smell of the judge, the sounds of the different animals that surrounded him. The five year old let out another giggle. The giggle turned to a yelp when he felt someone grab the back of his shirt._

" _Who are you?"_

 _Henry turned a saw a teenager, roughly around the age of fifteen. Dark hair tumbled in his face as deep brown eyes watched Henry with interest. The teenager's eyes narrowed before widening suddenly._

" _You're him," he whispered, sounding slightly panicked. He quickly looked around the area before pulling Henry with him. "This way," he whispered, heading deeper into the trees._

" _Who are you?" Henry asked quietly._

 _The teen glanced back at him. "I can't tell you my name._ He'll _find me if I do."_

" _What should I call you? And where are we?" Henry asked._

 _The teen stopped in front of a small cave with a make-shift wooden door attached to it. He opened it and ushered Henry inside. He was quiet for a moment. "This is Neverland," the teen replied. "Call me Tane."_

 _Henry grinned. "It's nice to meet you, Tane. I'm Henry," the little boy replied as he held his hand out._

 _Beltane smiled and took the little hand. "It's nice to meet you, Henry."_

~~NEVERLAND~~

Henry stopped to catch his breath. Luckily, he knew this jungle like the back of his hand. He could navigate it much easier than Greg or Tamara could ever hope to. He leaned back against a tree, the sharp bark digging into his tied-up hands. Henry bit his lip and looked around. His eyes quickly picked out the proper trail he needed to follow in order to get to Camp.

Henry frowned for a moment. Neverland was much darker than he remembered it being last time. He really hoped nothing had happened to Pan. Henry took off running again, hoping, desperately, that he would run into a friendly face.

~~NEVERLAND~~

Emma stumbled as the ship hit the water hard. She exhaled sharply through her nose, looking around at the dark, black water around them.

"There it is," Captain Hook said, pointing to the island. "Neverland."

"Is it supposed to be all dark and ominous looking?" Emma asked.

"Aye," Hook confirmed. "Pan runs the place. He is a demon disguised as a boy."

"And he has Henry," Emma concluded, her throat suddenly tight.

"We're getting our son back," Regina replied. "No one is going to stop us."

Emma nodded in agreement but from the look on his face, Hook didn't look entirely convinced. The Savior raised an eyebrow, daring the pirate to respond. He gave her a bitter smile.

"You think otherwise." It wasn't a question.

"Aye," the Captain replied softly. "Pan _always_ gets what he wants."

"He is _not_ getting my son," Regina countered hotly.

"He already has, love," Hook replied evenly. "Or else we wouldn't be anywhere near this bloody island."

Regina pressed her lips and only just stopped herself from barbequing the one-handed pirate. Emma sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair.

"What do we do now?"

~~NEVERLAND~~

" _What do we do now, Captain?" Mr. Smee asked nervously._

" _I have no bloody clue," the Captain replied, frustrated. He quickly turned to his 1_ _st_ _Mate and love. "Are you sure he didn't run off the ship?"_

 _Milah shook her head. "He knows better than to get off the ship when it docks. I told him specifically to not leave the ship."_

 _Killian sighed heavily. He rubbed his face in frustration. Thought whirling, he turned back to Mr. Smee. "Smee, I need you to gather a team and scout the coast. Threaten_ anyone _who seems suspicious." He looked over at the crewman, who was still standing there, nodding like an idiot. "Don't just stand there! Go!"_

" _Of course, Captain," Smee replied before hurrying off, tripping along the way._

" _What if he's hurt?" Milah asked, worrying her lip. "What if he's been kidnapped?"_

" _Hey," Killian said softly, placing his hands on Milah's arms. "We'll find him. He probably just wandered off. You know how adventurous he can be," he smiled softly. "He'll be back before you know it."_

 _Milah nodded, still looking unsure. As seconds passed, she quickly gained confidence. "You're right. He will be in so much trouble when he gets back."_

 _Killian laughed. "That's my girl."_

~~NEVERLAND~~

Killian blinked himself out of the memory. He sighed heavily as he took in the eyes that were watching him. Seeing as he had the most experience with the island, they were all looking to him for answers.

"There's a stretch of beach close by that I always used when I needed to get on the island," he replied with another heavy sigh. "I would suggest trying to sneak onto the island but, knowing Pan, the devil already knows we are here."

"So, we are heading into danger, without an element of surprise?" Snow White asked, her arms crossed.

Hook gave her an empty smile. "Pretty much."

Snow sighed before shrugging. "Wouldn't be the first time," she replied, her gaze shifting to her step mother.

The group began to toss different ideas back and forth in regards to what they would do once they were on the island. Hook thought back to the memory that had crept up on him. He exhaled sharply through his noses, mentally vowing to take Milah's secret to the grave. He turned back to the group and meet the gaze of the Crocodile head on. Clenching his jaw, he silently strengthened that vow, completely unsure of what the Dark One's reaction would be if he ever figured it out. He knew from some experience that it wouldn't be pretty.

~~NEVERLAND~~

"Would you look at that?" Peter Pan's second in command whispered in awe. He lowered his binoculars and grinned. "The ole pirate has returned at last."

With a grin, the Lost Boy jumped down from the make-shift tower and ran in the direction of the Camp. He jumped over roots and dodged low hanging limbs. Within a few moments, he was standing next to Pan, who was watching the fire before him. Pan blinked and shifted his gaze over to his second. He raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You have news?" he asked quietly.

"Captain Hook's ship is near the Harbor," he replied with a grin.

Pan blinked before a smile stretched across his face. "Our dear old Captain has returned, has he?"

"What are your orders?"

Pan was quiet for a moment. He opened his mouth to reply. He stopped suddenly and shifted his gaze over across the clearing, where the bushes were moving. Pan's Second in Command quickly notched an arrow. Pan rolled his eyes and batted the arrow down.

"It's a friend," he replied to the questioning look he received. He quickly jumped down from the tree house and walked in the direction of the noise. Within moments, a figure tumbled out. Pan quickly reached out, catching the young boy by his shoulders. Henry blinked and grinned when he saw who had stopped his fall.

"Peter!" he exclaimed. He looked ready to hug the older boy, if it wasn't for the ropes that were keeping his hands bound behind his back.

"What are you doing here?" Peter asked as he turned Henry around and pulled a small knife out of his boot. He quickly cut the ropes, freeing Henry's hands. The eleven-year-old turned around and wrapped his arms around the other boy's neck.

"I was kidnapped," he replied. It took him a moment to realize he was shaking. Tears prickled his eyes and he quickly buried his face in Pan's shoulder. "Greg and Tamara…they kidnapped me from Storybrooke."

Pan wrapped his arms around Henry, gently patting him on the back. He frowned for a moment before he pulled away. Without another word, he untied his dark green cloak and wrapped it around Henry.

"Felix!" he called, gaining the Lost Boy's attention. "Get me some water!"

The other boy nodded quickly and swiftly took off. Pan turned back to Henry.

"I need you to calm down," he whispered. "You're body's going into shock."

"I thought that only happened after an accident?" Henry replied, his voice shaking.

Pan shook his head. "It can also happen after extremely stressful situations. Kidnapping happens to fall under that category," he replied sarcastically.

Henry gave a shaky laugh. Felix had returned and handed the cup of water to Henry, who gave him a smile in thanks. Peter guided Henry to a seat close to the fire and sat next to him. The pair was quiet for a moment before Peter's Second walked forward.

"Hello, Henry," he smiled.

Henry smiled back and took another drink of the cool water. The older Lost Boy quickly turned his attention back to the leader. "What do we do about the Captain?"

"Hook?" Henry asked, lowering the cup.

"His ship was spotted just outside the harbor," Peter replied.

"My moms are probably on there," Henry replied excitedly. "They came to rescue me!"

Pan chuckled at Henry's enthusiasm. It really was contagious.

"So, we just take Henry to them?" another Boy asked. Before long, the entire camp had their attention on their leader.

Pan was quiet. He leaned back against the tree, his eyes closed, his boot clad feet stretched out in front of him. He hummed lightly, his thoughts swirling around like a typhoon. He smiled and opened his eyes. He looked around the camp, his dark eyes dancing with mirth.

"Who's ready to play a little game?" he asked, his voice quiet but everyone around him heard his question clearly. Grins appeared on the faces of a few around him. Henry tilted his head to the side.

"What kind of game?"

Peter Pan smiled and began to lay out his plan. Everyone leaned forward, listening intently. By the end of his plan, grins were spread across the faces of everyone around him. Muttered ideas and questions quickly began to circulate, everyone excited for the possibility of another adventure. After all, it had been a good while since anyone had been _this_ excited.

As his crew began their discussion, Peter leaned his head over next to Henry. "You feelin' any better?"

Henry nodded and handed Pan back his cloak. "Is this really going to work?" he asked.

Pan nodded. "It's been a long time since the Captain was last on Neverland. He won't be able to tell the difference."

Henry nodded. "Why does the island look like it did before?"

Pan just sighed. "Some of the Lost Boys wanted to play an island wide game of Hide and Seek yesterday…or was it last week?" he muttered the last part before he shook his head. "It doesn't matter when. Time is different on Neverland. Anyway, they island was too light for a proper game, so they practically _begged_ me to change it back for a little while." He grinned suddenly. "I guess it worked out for us in the end."

Henry was quiet for a moment. "How long has it been since I was last here?"

Pan grinned. "Judging from your age, I'd have to say it's only been about five, six years for you."

Henry nodded.

Peter hummed lightly, clearly calculating the mental math. "It's been about twenty four, twenty five years. From what Tink told me, for every day in the Enchanted Forest, or the Land Without Magic, it's roughly four days in Neverland."

Henry's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. "That long?"

Peter nodded, his smile still light and carefree, despite the clear worry on Henry's face. He bumped shoulders with the younger boy. "Don't worry so much," he commented, with a chuckle.

"How long have you been in Neverland?" Henry asked, revealing exactly what was bothering him.

Peter blinked in surprise before he began to mentally calculate again. "About twelve hundred years, if my math is right."

Henry blinked at him, stunned. He went to reply but found he really couldn't find the words. He jumped when a hand roughly ruffled his hair, messing it up even further.

"Don't worry about it," Peter replied softly, his hand still resting on Henry's head. "What's done is done. You can't change how long I've been here."

"But you were alone," Henry countered, remembering his first meeting with the older boy. "You've been alone for twelve hundred years!"

Pan smiled wistfully. "I wasn't always alone."

Henry frowned. "What happened?"

Pan's smile turned even more wistful. "He left Neverland."

"What happened to him?" Henry pressed.

Pan shrugged. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "I can only hope that, wherever he is, he's alright."

~~NEVERLAND~~

Neal groaned, rolling himself over onto his side. He gasped as pain shot up from the hole in his chest. Taking a shaky breath, he gently sat up, pain flaring through him as he stretched his wound.

"Damn it," he hissed, ripping his scarf off his neck, pressing it to the wound on his side. He looked around, the pain momentarily blurring his vision. He felt his lungs seize up as he took in his surroundings. "No," he whispered, easily recognizing the beach he had landed on.

"Neal?!"

He turned and saw Emma running in his direction, a frantic and relieved look on her face. She slide in the sand next to him, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"Emma?" he asked, confused. What was Emma doing in Neverland?

Emma pulled back, tears in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away before looking him up and down. Her eyes quickly drew to the gunshot wound, which was still bleeding profusely. She hissed as she took in the sight of the blood.

"What the _hell_ did you run off for?" Regina asked, clearly pissed as she stormed across the beach. She abruptly came to a halt as she took in Neal's condition.

"Can you heal him?" Emma asked, her shaking hands pressing the scarf to the wound.

Neal hissed as he took in the blood that was pooling in the sand beneath him. He was loosing blood fast and he had no idea how long he had been unconscious for.

"Bae?" Rumpelstiltskin whispered as he quickly caught sight of his son, hurrying to his side.

"I don't know," Regina replied as she knelt on the ground, next to Henry's father. "Healing is Light magic."

Emma pressed her lips. She quickly turned to Gold. "Can you heal him?"

"Of course," the Dark One replied. He quickly raised his hand and gave it a wave. Within moments, the bleeding stopped, along with the sharp, searing pain that had been coursing up Neal's side. Neal breath a sigh of relief as the pain disappeared.

"How could you heal him and Regina couldn't?" Snow asked. "She said it was Light magic."

"It is," the Dark One replied. "But, as the Dark One, my powers don't necessarily follow the same rules as all Dark magic."

"The price?" Emma asked, looking worried.

Rumpelstiltskin smiled thinly. "Already paid."

"How?" Emma asked, her voice leaving no room for arguing.

Mr. Gold rolled his eyes. "A blood transfer. Bae had already lost a lot of blood, so the price was the transferring of my blood to him. It only works if for people related by blood."

Emma gave a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping forward. She felt Neal squeeze her hand and she looked up to meet his gaze. She gave him an unsure smile, which he returned evenly. She stood, pulling him to his feet gently. She watched Gold for a moment, unsure if he was going to fall over. The Dark One simply smiled.

"Don't worry about me, dearie. It takes a little more than a little blood loss to do me in," he smirked.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Good to know."

"So," Snow began, with a smile. "Now we have two people who know Neverland. What's next?" she asked as she looked between Neal and Hook.

"I've only been on this bloody island a handful of times, love," Killian replied before gesturing to Neal. "Baelfire _lived_ on this island."

Neal blinked as all eyes turned to him. "Uh," he began intelligently. "Would someone like to fill me in first? What are you doing on Neverland?"

"Greg and Tamara," Emma replied. "They kidnapped Henry."

"Shit," Neal swore, as he ran a hand through his hair. He paused for a moment, watching everyone with aged eyes. "I take it they work for Pan?"

Emma nodded.

"What does Pan need Henry for?" Regina asked, her temper rising.

Neal was quiet for a moment, rolling the information around in his head. He sighed, rubbing his face with both of his hands. "He needs his heart," Neal whispered.

"Why?" Charming whispered, stunned.

Neal looked around at everyone, staring them dead in the eyes. "He needs it to become immortal. Pan's after the heart of the Truest Believer."

~~NEVERLAND~~

" _So this is the one with the heart of the Truest Believer," Baelfire whispered as he stared at the little sketch he had nicked off of Felix. He studied the image of the young boy, squinting as his eyes tried to make out the charcoal markers that graced the paper. He sighed, giving up on trying to see the image clearly. He swiftly jumped down from the high branch he had been perched on, landing with an easy and grace that only came from experience. He moved through the trees silently, keeping his eyes opened wide the entire way back to his home. He stopped, sensing trouble as he quickly slung the bow off his shoulder. Within seconds, an arrow was embedded in the tree, next to the face of one Peter Pan. The green eyed young man raised an eyebrow, his hand coming up to touch his bleeding cheek and ear._

" _You missed," he smirked arrogantly._

 _Baelfire simply raised an eyebrow. "Did I?"_

 _Pan frowned, clearly not liking being on the receiving end of the mind games for once._

" _What do you want Pan?" Bae whispered, his voice strong and clear._

" _You have something that belongs to me," he replied, gesturing to the picture sticking out of Baelfire's pocket._

" _This?" Baelfire asked as the picture fluttered out of his pocket and came to rest between the two._

 _Pan nodded, looking completely smug with his traditional smirk on his face. He reached out for the picture, using his magic to summon it. He was so concentrated on the picture, however, that he almost missed the flaming arrow that was sent his way. He barely ducked out of the way as the arrow pierced the parchment and embedded the sketch in the tree behind him, splitting the arrow that Baelfire shoot at him earlier. Within seconds, the parchment turned to ash, the fire spell that Baelfire had mastered a long time ago began to eat away at the bark of the tree. Pan spun around, furious, only to stumble back when he nearly impaled his nose on another arrow._

" _What's the saying?" Baelfire contemplated thoughtfully. "Third time's a charm?"_

 _Pan narrowed his eyes, glaring at Baelfire's smirking face. "You'll regret this," the boy demon hissed._

 _Baelfire simply raised an eyebrow, the smirk turning into an innocent expression. "How are you going to make me regret it?" he asked, his eyes wide with curiosity. "You have no more leverage over me._ That _disappeared from the island ten years ago." He smirked again, pulling the string tighter. "And you and I_ both _know which of us has the strongest magic here."_

 _Baelfire patiently waited for Pan's response. The older boy simply glared, however, knowing that everything Bae was saying was the honest truth. When Pan gave no response, Baelfire simply chuckled to himself, pulling the arrow away from his rival's face._

" _You_ will _regret this," Pan hissed as he watched Baelfire turn and walk away, his dark cloak brushing the ground. "As soon as I find the one with the Truest Heart, I will make you regret this."_

" _You sound like a parrot," Baelfire responded, glancing over his shoulder with an amused expression. "'Polly want a cracker'?" he mocked, an expression he had picked up from one of the newer lost boys._

 _Pan's face turned red, much to Bae's amusement. He could tell that Pan wanted to, yet again, repeat his previous statement but it would only add more fuel to the fire that Baelfire was creating. Bae chuckled lightly before his expression turned serious._

" _And I will_ never _let you find the Truest Believer," Baelfire promised, his magic swirling through the air. He grinned suddenly. "Besides, how can you find the one you are looking for when you have no idea what he looks like?"_

 _A look of confusion crossed Pan's face, only to be replaced by panic when he realized exactly what Baelfire was up to. Before he could even blink, the magic Baelfire had quietly been spreading throughout the entire encounter flashed, activating the spell that Bae had so quickly and quietly woven. Seconds later, Pan was the only one standing in the clearing, his face red with fury as the memory of the Truest Believer disappeared from his memory, as well as from the memories of the rest of the Lost Boys. Pan growled, knowing fully well how far Baelfire had just tipped the playing field._

 **A little side note, Neal didn't land in the Enchanted Forest after falling through the portal. I figured that might be a little obvious with him appearing in Neverland but I wanted to state it in the bottom notes, just to be on the safe side. This writing style was particularly challenging for me but I like the way this chapter turned out. Please review.**


	2. Trusting

Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Chapter Two: Trusting

"What's our attack plan?" Regina asked as the group looked down at the very detailed sketch of the island that Neal had drawn in the dirt.

"I have a safe house here," Neal replied, marking the location with a small X. "It's a little distance away but I might have some supplies that could help us get Henry back."

"How far is 'a little'?" Regina asked, only to receive a death glare from her former mentor.

Neal mentally calculated the distance. "A couple of hours, at least."

Emma frowned. "But this is a small island. Why would it take so long?"

"Traps, caves, animals," Neal listed, tallying each one on a different finger. "This is Pan's island. He has the entire place littered with traps." Neal paused for a moment. "I just hope he hasn't moved any."

"You were just here, what…" Regina paused to do the mental math. "Eighteen, nineteen years ago?"

Neal raised an eyebrow. "Try closer to eighty."

Everyone's eyebrows disappeared into their hairlines. Rumpelstiltskin looked stunned and horrified. The Captain was the only one who didn't look phased.

"Eighty years?" Emma whispered.

Neal nodded. "Time is different one Neverland. For every day in the Land Without Magic, four days pass in Neverland." He looked to Killian. "Is that right?"

"Aye," Killian confirmed. "I learned about it from a mermaid." He looked at Neal. "Where did you learn it from?"

"Tiger Lily," Neal supplied easily. He pointed to a little peninsula that stretched just of the northwest part of the island. "She and her people live here." He circled the area with his stick.

"Tiger Lily," Emma deadpanned. "Like from the movie? Seriously?"

Neal wrinkled his nose. "No. Tiger Lily is so much better in person. That movie _should not_ exist. It has _everything_ wrong."

Emma sighed, rubbing her temples as a migraine began to form. "Ok. I'll _completely_ disregard the movie. Is there anything about the movie that _is_ true?"

Neal thought for a moment. "Not that I recall."

"What happens when we get to your cave?" Regina asked, halting the pop culture conversation.

"That's when we will really form our plan of attack," Neal supplied. He seemed rather focused to everyone else but Emma knew him well enough to notice when he was distracted. She frowned but keep the thoughts to herself.

"Are we going to enlist the help of Tiger Lily?" Hook asked, looking a little apprehensive.

Neal shifted his gaze to the other man. " _I'm_ going to enlist her help. It's probably best that she not see you there."

"Did you kidnap her?" Emma asked, her mind automatically going back to the movie.

"Throw the movie out the window, Emma," Neal said with a grin. "No, Hook didn't kidnap Tiger Lily."

Emma looked to Hook, raising an eyebrow, obviously waiting for a response. The pirate began to fidget nervously.

"My crew and I infiltrate their village, looking for answers regarding Pan. Smee doesn't know how to use a gun well and nearly killed Tiger Lily. If it wasn't for a green cloaked figure, she would surely have died."

"Green cloaked figure?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow. "From the track record, I can safely assume it wasn't Pan, correct?"

"It wasn't Pan," Neal confirmed.

"But I don't know who it was," Killian supplied. "From what I heard circulating around the island, the green cloaked figure has always been a thorn in Pan's side."

"Circulating from whom?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, standing next to his son.

"The Natives, mermaids, fairies," Hook supplied. "This island isn't without it's inhabitants."

Emma groaned, rubbing her temples again. These was a lot of information to process. She sneaked a glance at Neal and frowned. He was clearly smirking, like he knew something Hook didn't. Which was probably true, considering he actually _lived_ on Neverland. Still, there was something off about Neal at the moment. It wasn't anything threatening, that much Emma knew. Something just wasn't adding up right but for the life of her, Emma couldn't figure out what.

Neal stood up and dusted off his hands on his blue button up shirt. He had already ditched the thick coat, due to the humidity of the island. The rest of the group had quickly fallen suit, discarding any unneeded articles of clothing.

"Let's go," he prompted. "We've work to do."

~~FAITH~~

" _Come on, you bunch of land lovers," Killian shouted. "We've work to do!"_

 _The Captain jumped down from the railing where he had just been standing, landing gracefully in front of a laughing boy._

" _And what exactly is funny?" he asked with a grin._

 _Milah's son simple shook his head, his dark brown curls bouncing with his movement. "Nothing," he replied with a grin. "Just finding the whole thing amusing."_

 _Killian rolled his eyes and quickly had the lad locked in a head lock, rubbing his knuckles across the laughing teen's head. He released the teen, who simple rolled his eyes._

" _Off with you," Killian waved him off with a grin. "I need you to check the fighting top on the Main Mast."_

 _The teen simply rolled his eyes and expertly climbed up the shrouds to reach the nest that was sitting in the middle of the mast._

" _Add check the other two while you're at it," Killian called with a grin, laughing when the teen rolled his eyes dramatically._

~~FAITH~~

"Does everyone remember the plan?" Peter Pan asked, his eyes scanning the group, a smile on his face.

The Lost Boys nodded in excitement. Even Henry was grinning.

"Tiger Lily and Tinker Bell have been informed," the Second in Command commented. "I sent Slightly over to let the mermaids know."

"Perfect," Pan grinned. He looked at Henry. "Ready?"

Henry grinned. "Of course."

"Remember," he said in a definitive tone. "If you see those two people anywhere near Henry, lead them astray. I don't want either of them close to him."

Everyone nodded. Pan grinned suddenly. "Ok, Boys. Time to play."

~~TRUST~~

" _Time to play, Boys!"_

 _Baelfire avoided another arrow that shot passed his head, embedding itself into the tree. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, dodging multiple Dreamshade coated arrows that were sent flying his way. He ducked into a patch of trees, mindful of the thrones coated in the thick, black poison. His feet pounded the ground, sweat rolling in waves down his back. He risked a glance behind him and spied multiple lost boys running after him. Frustrated, he waved his hand, sending his recently discovered magic back, knocking the Boys on their bums. He gave himself no time to celebrate his victory. He continued to run for what felt like hours. And, in all honesty, it probably was._

 _At one point, Baelfire tripped, nearly breaking his ankle in the process. He quickly wrenched it out of the hole and, like an idiot, continued to run. He only slowed down when he made it to the clearing in front of the little cave he had taken up residence in. He stopped, allowing himself a little time to catch his breath. He leaned back against a tree, wincing at the pain that continued to shoot up his right leg. His legs gave out as he landed on the hard ground, his whole body shaking with the effort to keep himself up right. He wanted nothing more than to completely pass out and not worry about anything at all._

 _But he couldn't do that out in the open._

 _There were just too many unknown factors around him. Baelfire sighed, pushing the hood of his cloak back slightly, just enough for him to check on his ankle. He sighed in relief when it didn't look as bad as he had originally thought it would. Sure, there was some bruising and he had definitely sprained it bad but at least it wasn't broken. He mentally thanked whatever god that could hear him as he laid his head back against the tree._

" _Six months," he whispered._

 _It had been six months since Ki—That Pirate—had sold him to Pan. Four months since he discovered that he possessed magic. He wasn't sure if the magic was the result of being around his father for the period of time that he had been the Dark One, falling though the portal, or the magic that was highly specific to Neverland. Heck, it could also be something inherent in his blood, passed down from some unknown ancestor. Whatever the case, Baelfire had magic, whether he liked it or not._

 _Bae inhaled slowly, taking in the different smells of the island around him. The pain of his ankle must have impaired his judgement, however. Had he been thinking straight, Bae would have automatically ducked into his little cave as soon as he arrived. He dropped his guard, however, as soon as he entered familiar territory._

 _Which was why he just barely heard the snapping of a tree branch before an arrow pierced his left shoulder, pinning him in place to the tree. Baelfire only just bit back the scream that threatened to tear through his throat. He inhaled sharply though his nose, trying to concentrate on anything but the pain._

" _You stick out like a sore thumb with that red cloak," a voice remarked from the shadows of the trees. "You should really try for something darker."_

" _And who the hell are you?" Bae whispered, his breath catching with every throb of pain that coursed through him._

" _Pan's Third in Command," the voice commented, a figure stepping out of the shadows._

 _Bae inhaled sharply as the other teen walked into the grove, the setting sun casting light on the area. The Third tilted his head to the side. "I've been given orders to kill you on the spot. Though I'm not sure why. You must have done something to royally piss Pan off."_

 _Baelfire could do nothing but sit there and stare in shock. Something wasn't right. How in the world could this be happening?_

" _You not going to say anything?" the other teen asked, tapping an arrow coated in Dreamshade against his shoulder. "You're dead anyways. If the blood loss doesn't kill you, the Dreamshade surely will."_

 _The teen walked forward, kneeling down to look Baelfire in the eyes. He couldn't see his face, however, due to the shadow the cloak was casting._

" _I'm honestly curious as to who you are," the teen continued as Baelfire's vision swarmed, the Dreamshade already leaking into his bloodstream. "Why in the world would he send all of the Lost Boys after you_ and _send me?"_

 _Bae leaned his head back against the tree, the shadow disappearing from the bottom half of his face. "Because I threaten him."_

 _The other teen frowned. "How?"_

" _I'm the only other person on this island with magic," Baelfire replied, staring into dark eyes, much like his own._

 _The Third frowned. He brought his hand up to Bae's face, causing him to flinch. He didn't strike him, like Bae originally thought he would. He simple pushed back the hood the rest of the way, bringing Bae's features completely into the light._

 _The Lost Boy's eyes widened and he fell back on to his bum, staring in complete shock. "What's your name?" he whispered after a moment._

 _Baelfire blinked as dark spot began to appear in his line of vision. His breathing had become ragged as his heart began to beat unevenly. "Baelfire," he whispered before the darkness consumed his vision, throwing his whole world into black._

 _~~TRUST~~_

Rumpelstiltskin couldn't believe his luck. For the past couple of hours, he had furiously believed that he had lost his son for good. By some sort of miracle, this little boy, who was a man now, had survived and was right here beside him. As the group trekked through the dense trees, Rumple couldn't help but stay close to his son. Bae didn't seem to mind that much.

"Bae," he began, unsure of how to proceed.

His son looked over at him. "It's Neal," he replied without any hostility or malice.

Rumple nodded. "Neal," he said. "Can you forgive me for how I acted before all of this," he gestured around him with a flourish, "happened? For my behavior back in Storybrooke?"

Neal sent him a smile. He slung an arm around his Papa's shoulder. "Yea, Papa," he whispered. "I can forgive you."

Rumpelstiltskin sighed in relief as he held his son close.

~~TRUST~~

 _Milah held her son close, staring down at his sleeping form. It had only been days since she had given birth but she was already regretting her decision. She hadn't wanted to do it but, with her husband off to war, there was only so much she could do. She had already been completely terrified when the midwife had announce her pregnancy, a few weeks after she had begun to fall ill in the mornings. With a frustrated sigh, she wiped away the tears that had begun to fall down her face. She smiled down at the babe in her arms, her son making small, soft noises as he stared up at his mother._

" _Hello Baelfire," she whispered. "I sincerely hope that, when the time comes, you can forgive me for what I've done."_

 _Baelfire didn't respond. The baby simply let out different noises, enjoying the attention that his mother was giving him. Milah chuckled, watching in wonder as her son's hand wrapped around her small finger._

' _Please, please. Forgive me,' she thought, watching her son as he fell asleep._

~~TRUST~~

"It's just up ahead," Neal said as the group sighed in relief. They had been walking for _hours_ in the humid jungle, not bothering to stop unless it was to drink from a clear stream that Neal pointed out.

"Finally," Regina complained.

Neal looked back at her. "I told you it would take a couple of hours to get here."

Regina huffed but refrained from replying. Emma gave a mental sigh of relief as the group walked into a groove. That relief was short lived, however, when Neal came to a sudden stop.

"Well, this is a surprise."

Emma blinked as she took in the appearance of the teenager standing in front of them. He was a little above average height with sandy blond hair and dark green eyes. He was clad in different shades of green and brown clothing. It didn't take a rocket scientist to guess exactly who was standing before them.

Neal took a step forward, only to stop when Rumpelstiltskin grabbed his arm.

"Wait, Bae," he said, watching the demon before them.

"Oh ho!" Peter Pan exclaimed in excitement. "So, it really is you, isn't it? _Baelfire_ ," the teen spat the name in a condescending tone.

Neal's eyes narrowed. "Where's my son?"

Pan looked genuinely confused. "Who?"

"Henry," Neal stressed. "Where is he?"

Pan looked completely stunned at this point. His cocky guard dropped and he stared at the man before him in disbelief.

"Henry's _your son?_ " he asked, shocked.

Neal nodded. Pan blinked again before quickly recovering, his smug grin returning to his face.

"Well, who doesn't love a surprise?" Pan asked with a chuckle.

"Where. Is. Henry?" Neal asked again, stressing each work with anger.

Pan simple ignored him, plopping himself down on a stray log. "I'm honestly surprised you have asked about _him_ yet."

Emma saw Neal freeze. She frowned in confusion, looking to Gold for answers. Unfortunately, the Dark One looked just as lost as she felt.

"Where is he?" Neal whispered softly. Emma instantly knew he wasn't talking about Henry.

Pan grinned gleefully. It was a smile that Emma would never have associated with a villain but Pan pulled it off quite well. He leaned forward, his arms resting on his legs. The grin never once fell from his face.

"It wasn't long after you left, actually. Maybe just a few years, give or take." His smile quickly turned into a smirk. "He got desperate. He wanted off this island."

Neal began to shake his head. "He couldn't leave," he whispered, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Of course he couldn't," Pan replied cheerfully. "The Dreamshade made sure of that."

"Dreamshade?" Regina asked.

Pan turned his gaze to her, his smirk getting crueler by the second. "It's a particular poison that is native here to Neverland. It kills you slowly once it enters your bloodstream." He paused for a moment. "Actually," he began, holding his chin in thought, "how fast it works through your system depends on how quickly you die." He shrugged. "The only cure is the water that runs through the center of Neverland. Once you drink the water, you're magically healed. However," he said, a vile grin back in place, "if you leave Neverland, you die."

Emma felt her stomach drop. She looked over at Neal, noticing how pale he was. He looked as if he were about to pass out any second now.

"Where is he?" Neal repeated again, sounding broken. Emma felt a pang run through her chest.

Pan leaned forward again, whispering slowly, as if he was speaking to a child: "He's dead."

For a moment, Emma was almost certain that Neal would pass out due to the sheer amount of color he lost when Pan uttered those two words. He stayed on his feet, however, his look of utter shock and despair turning to hatred.

"I best be off," Pan grinned. "Things to do, people to find."

He disappeared through the trees, humming lightly as he went. As soon as he was out of sight, the silence was broken.

"What was that about?" Regina asked, rounding on Neal.

Neal's shoulder slumped forward. He sighed heavily and looked up to meet Regina's eyes. She flinched back, the deep hurt and heartbreak in his eyes was prominent. He looked over and the cave and slowly began to make his way over.

"I'll tell you once we're inside."

~~TRUST~~

 _Baelfire groaned as his mind began to drift back into wakefulness. He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the cold, gray ceiling of his small little cave. He shifted, only to inhale sharply when his left shoulder and right ankle both flared up in pain. He hissed, tears stinging his eyes as white hot agony coursed through his body._

" _Don't move."_

 _Baelfire looked over and stared at the other boy, the white stars slowly fading from his vision. "The Dreamshade?" he whispered, his throat dry._

" _Gone," he replied. "I care some of the water from this island around with me, just in case any of the Lost Boys happen to cut themselves on the arrows."_

" _The price?" Baelfire asked quietly._

 _The other teen raised an eyebrow. "What price?"_

" _All magic comes with a price," Bae replied. "What price do you have to pay to heal the Dreamshade?"_

 _The Third frowned, lost in thought for a moment. "I guess the price would be that you can never leave Neverland."_

 _Baelfire froze, his breath stilled in his lungs. For one long, horrible moment, it felt as though he was suffocating. "I can't leave?" he whispered, his voice strangled._

 _To his credit, the other teenager looked distort. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "There wasn't really much I could do. You were dying…" he trailer off, looking at the quiver of arrows sitting at his feet._

" _Why do you care?" Baelfire asked heatedly. He knew he was being ungrateful. The person before him had just saved him from dying. And yet…_

 _Pan's Third looked up with a stormy expression. "If you haven't noticed-"_

" _I_ have _noticed!" Baelfire cut him off. "Where have you been all these years? Are you really…"_

 _The other teen nodded, his face taking on a haunted look. "I am. I was living with a couple until they passed away in a fire. It wasn't long after I turned eight that Killian found me."_

 _Baelfire looked up. "Killian?!"_

 _The Third nodded. "Yea. Killian Jones. He's a pirate. He took me in. I live on the Jolly Roger, right up until the Shadow kidnapped me."_

" _When was that?" Baelfire asked._

" _About a week after I turned fifteen," he replied. He paused for a moment. "Do you know Killian?"_

 _Bae hesitated for a moment. "Yea."_

" _How?"_

"… _I was on the Jolly Roger, right before he sold me to Pan."_

" _He WHAT?!"_

 _Baelfire jumped at the outburst. He winced, accidently pulling his wound. He looked over at the shocked expression on the other boy's face._

" _Why?" he asked, his voice desperate._

 _Bae gave a bitter laugh. "Because I wouldn't help him get his revenge."_

 _The other teen's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "What revenge?"_

" _Revenge against my father," Bae answered._

" _Why?"_

"… _Because he killed my mother." Bae took a risk and glanced over at the other teen. As he expected, Pan's Third looked murderous._

" _He's under a curse," Bae supplied. "He wouldn't have done so otherwise."_

" _What kind of curse?"_

" _Answer me something first," Bae countered._

 _The Third raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"_

" _What's your name?"_

 _The teen blinked in surprise. "Beltane," he replied._

 _Baelfire smiled. "Nice to meet you, Tane," he replied, holding out his right hand._

 _Beltane looked a little weary but took his hand nonetheless. "Nice to meet you too, Baelfire."_


	3. Hoping

Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Chapter Three: Hoping

Emma looked around the small cave. It wasn't as bear as she would have suspected. The walls were covered in detailed drawings of people and places. She could just make out Big Ben, which was almost hidden behind a dark green curtain that was handing from the wall. Two beds, fashioned from a dark wood were nestled in the back of the cave, both covered in straw and leaves for comfort. A small make-shift table with two chairs was sitting near a hand-crafted spinner's wheel on the opposite side of the cave.

"This is cozy," Regina said and Emma didn't think she was being sarcastic.

"Bae," Gold began, lying his hand on his son's shoulder.

Neal quickly moved, wrenching himself out of his father's reach. He held his hands up, his expression pained and fragile. "Don't…" he whispered trailing off.

"What was that about?" Killian asked quietly, confused.

Neal bit his lip as his legs gave out from underneath him. He landed on the ground, not seeming to care for the cold, hard floor. He crossed his legs and hung his head, his face buried in his hands. Emma walked over and sat down next to him. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze.

"Can you just answer Captain Guyline's question?" Regina asked, annoyed, receiving an "Oi!" from said pirate. "I would really like to find my son!"

"Regina," Snow said firmly. "Yelling at Baelfire isn't going to solve anything."

"Stop calling me that!" Neal snapped suddenly, startling everyone.

"Neal," Emma said sternly, gaining his attention. "Who was Pan talking about?"

Neal immediately deflated, all of his anger suddenly gone, replaced with the look of a lost puppy. Emma frowned. In the time she had known him, Neal had _never_ been anything but carefree and cheerful. With the exception of the incident with the wanted poster, Emma had never seen him look down, much less depressed. The man before her looked as if someone had just murdered his best friend. And, judging from his reaction to Pan's comment, they may very well have.

"She never expected us to meet," he began, immediately loosing everyone. "I think she had always wanted to bring the two of us together, so she could right what she had done." He smiled bitterly. "She never got the chance. Pan's shadow took me before any of that could happen."

"Who?" Charming asked, confused.

"Ma," Neal replied, smiling bitterly.

Rumpelstiltskin frowned. "Milah?"

Neal nodded.

"But she died when you were younger."

"Give it a rest, Crocodile," Hook cut in. "The lad knows she left you."

"What?" Snow asked, her face the perfection of confusion."

Hook sighed. "Milah, his" he pointed at Gold, "wife, left him when Baelfire was just seven years old."

"Who did she leave him for?" Regina asked.

" _Him_ ," the Dark One sneered, pointing at the pirate.

Emma's head began to swarm. "Ok," she said, not really able to take it all in, "we'll deal with that later. Right now, we need to focus on what Neal was telling us before."

The group lapsed into silence, all of them eventually turning their eyes to look at Neal, who had his attention on a small glass, transparent orb that was sitting in the middle of the table.

"Who are you talking about, Bae?" Gold asked.

Neal flinched, as if he had been struck. He looked over at Killian, watching the pirate for a moment before he sighed. "It's probably best if I showed you," he replied as he stood up and picked up the small glass orb he had just been staring at.

~~Hope~~

" _What does this do?" Beltane asked as he observed the clear glass orb Baelfire had created. Over the past four hundred years since the two had meet, Bae had become_ exceptionallygood _at controlling his magic. It was something that he keep closely guarded, not wanting Pan to realize that they were gaining the upper hand._

" _They act as decoys," Baelfire supplied as he effortlessly created another clear orb, adding it to the twenty-nine he already had._

" _I thought you said that magic came with a price," Tane said, eyeing the orbs carefully._

" _It does," Bae replied, holding one of the glass orbs up to eye level, checking for any deformities._

" _What price are you paying now?"_

 _Bae steeled, the glass orb still at eyelevel but Bae's gaze wasn't focused on it. His mind's eye was in a different place, calmly replaying past events. "Time," he replied._

" _Time?!" Tane parroted._

 _Bae nodded. "The longer I use magic, the longer I will be stuck on this damned island."_

 _Tane turned to look at him suddenly. "I thought you said you could find a way to neutralize the Dreamshade in your bloodstream!" he shouted._

 _Baelfire looked down. He smiled bitterly. "I don't think I would be able to. As soon as I set foot back home, I'll die before I even have the chance to create a cure."_

" _You lied to me?" Tane whispered._

 _Bae shook his head. "No. At the time, I believed that I could find a cure." He paused, looking over at the other boy. "After giving it some thought, I realize how naïve I was."_

 _They were both quiet for a moment. Tane hastily scrubbed at his eyes, wiping away the moisture that gathered there. He looked back up at Baelfire, his face set in determination. "You can't give up now," he countered._

 _Bae raised an eyebrow. He leaned back against the wooden table he had fashioned out of a tree. "What do you propose?" He wasn't being negative nor taunting. He was genuinely asking the boy in front of him._

" _The Spring Water is what cured you, right?" Tane asked, pacing as he thought, a habit he had picked up from his mother._

 _Bae nodded, watching him closely._

" _What if you were to take a supply of the water with you?" he asked, still pacing. "Enough to last until you find a cure?"_

 _Bae gave the other boy a bitter smile. "In theory, that might work. But," he sighed, "I'm not sure how much water I would need nor how long it would take."_

 _Tane stopped mid-pace, slowly turning his head. Tears clung to the corners of his eyes but he_ refused _to let them fall. "You can't just give up."_

 _Bae sighed, heavier this time. "I'm not giving up," he replied. "I'm just running out of everything_ but _time." He chuckled humorlessly, looking down at his hands that looked just as they had when he first arrived in Neverland._

 _He stumbled in surprise when Tane flung his arms around him, holding him in a desperate embrace. He relaxed and returned the embrace with just as much enthusiasm._

" _I just found you," Tane whispered, his voice and throat tight. "I don't want to lose you."_

" _You won't lose me," Bae replied, pulling back and placing his hands on the other teen's shoulders. "We'll find a way to leave this island. Together," he smiled._

 _Tane chuckled wetly, brushing the tears away. "Now," he sniffed, trying to get his emotions in check. He gestured to the orbs, saying: "What exactly do these do?"_

 _Baelfire chuckled before picking one up. "As I said, they act as decoys."_

 _Tane frowned. "How?"_

 _Bae smiled and sat on the floor, Tane taking a seat across from him. "Do you know how Pan always seems to find us?"_

 _Tane shook his head._

 _Bae grinned. "He uses his magic to track our auras."_

 _Tane scrunched his face in confusion. "Our what?"_

 _Bae rolled his eyes. "Our auras. I guess the best way to explain it is as our souls, in a sense. They are similar, yet different." He paused for a moment. "Our auras are as unique as our souls, each holding something that is special to us."_

" _So, Pan tracks that signature?" Tane asked, trying to keep up._

" _Exactly. I learned a little about it from Papa." He flinched suddenly. "Sorry."_

 _Tane waved him off. "Don't worry," he assured. "I'm over it."_

 _Bae cracked a small smile. He held up one of the glass orbs. "I can place a replica of our signatures within the orbs and scatter them across the island."_

 _Tane's eyes widened in surprise. "Then he won't be able to track us," he breathed before a thought dawned on him. "But won't he find them if they are stationary?"_

 _Bae grinned. "Not if they are constantly changing positions."_

" _That…is pure genius," Tane whispered. He looked up from the orb. "What else do they do?"_

 _Bae hummed, thinking for a moment. "They can capture and store images."_

" _Like messages?" he asked. "Can they capture a moving image?"_

 _Bae blinked. "I'm not sure." A mischievous grin crossed his face. "Want to try it?"_

 _Tane laughed. "Of course!"_

~~Hope~~

"Show us what?" Snow asked, staring at the glass orb.

"Just who Pan was talking about," Neal replied.

"You're not making any sense, Bae" Rumpelstiltskin replied.

Neal flinched. "It's Neal," he replied softly.

"Do you not like your name or something?" Regina asked.

Neal looked up at her sullenly. "It's not my name."

"Just because you change your name—" Regina began, only to be cut off when Snow elbowed her. The Evil Queen sent her step-daughter a glare that could melt a glacier but Snow wasn't affected by it.

Killian frowned, watching as Neal flinched again. He felt as if he were missing something. Something _extremely_ important. The missing thing only clicked in his mind when Neal looked up, staring the pirate directly in the eyes.

"Bloody hell," Hook whispered, stumbling back. Luckily, the wall was just behind him or the pirate would probably have landed on his ass.

Neal smiled bitterly. "Looks like you finally worked _some_ of it out." He paused. "Did you work out the rest?"

"I think so," Killian replied, suddenly breathless. "How did you two…?"

"Here, in Neverland," he replied, looking down at the orb.

"I am officially lost," Charming said, running a hand through his hair.

"I think we all are," Emma replied, noticing all of the confused looks.

Hook sighed, running his hand over his face. Dread weld up in his stomach as he thought about the different situations that could have caused _that_ meeting. "So that's where you disappeared to," Killian concluded.

Neal nodded. "The shadow kidnapped me."

"Could someone please tell us what is going on?" Emma asked, blowing up before Gold even had the chance to.

The two men stared at each other for a moment. Killian sighed and gestured towards the orb. "Show them."

"Papa will have to," Neal said. "I don't have magic."

"What about Regina?" Snow asked.

Neal shook his head. "He said it only works with blood magic. It has to be Papa."

"Who is 'he'?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, confused.

Neal gave him a hopeless smile. He gesture to the orb that the Dark One now held. "Watch and see."

His Papa sighed, looking down at the orb. He wordlessly held it out in front of him, concentrating on the _extremely_ complex magic that had been interwoven into the small orb. It took a little effort, something that surprise him immensely, but he managed to get the orb to work. Within seconds, an image appeared above the orb, acting like a projector. The group watched as a young teenager looked at what they all assumed was the orb in confusion. He had dark brown hair that tumbled over his ears, brushing the back of his neck and just above his eyebrows. His dark brown eyes held a questioning look in them.

" _Are you even sure this thing is working?"_ he asked an unknown person off-screen.

The group heard a chuckle. _"If it wasn't working, the orb wouldn't be flashing red, now would it?"_

The teenager wrinkled his nose as he turned his gaze of to the side. _"You_ know _I know next to nothing about magic,"_ he replied, his tone slightly hurt.

They heard a soft sigh. _"I told you that even before I activated the orb. Honestly! Do you ever listen, Tane?"_

The teen in the image grinned. _"Nope."_

"'Tane'?" Rumpelstiltskin echoed, pronouncing the word to rhyme with 'tame'. He looked to Neal. "Who called you 'Tane'? And why?"

"That's you?" Emma asked, looking at Neal.

Neal nodded. "Just keep watching," he replied to his father.

The Dark One didn't look happy but complied with his son's wishes nonetheless.

" _I still don't think it's working,"_ younger Neal complained, eyeing the orb skeptically.

They all heard a frustrated sigh. _"Hand it over,"_ the other person said before the orb exchanged hands. There was a shuffling noise and a blur of colors before the orb came back to rest. Emma frowned. The image hadn't changed. Neal was still looking at the orb, this time with a watchful eye rather than a disbelieving one. Emma raised an eyebrow at Neal but refrained from commenting.

" _It's working,"_ he replied.

Emma blinked. The voice was different. It didn't sound like the younger Neal the group had just seen. In fact, it sounded like the person that had been _beside_ Neal. Snow let out a yelp as an identical head popped over into the screen from the right hand side.

" _Are you sure?"_ young Neal asked.

The other boy—the one that looked _identical_ to the younger image of Neal—sighed slowly through his nose. Emma could almost see him mentally counting backwards from ten, reigning in his frustration slowly.

" _Who, exactly, is the magic expert here?"_ he asked.

Young Neal huffed. The image steeled before dissolving all together. The cave was filled with an eerie silence.

"What the _hell_?!" Regina exclaimed, still reeling from the short 'video'.

"Milah had twins," Killian replied, looking at the ground.

"What?" Rumpelstiltskin whispered.

"How could Rumpelstiltskin not know that?" Charming asked.

"I wasn't there," the Dark One said softly. "I wasn't there for Milah's pregnancy."

"Ma gave me away," Neal supplied. "You were still at the training camp and she didn't know if you would make it back or not." He was quiet for a moment. "She couldn't look after both of us."

"Why did she never tell me?" Rumple asked, hurt and anger lacing his tone.

"She couldn't forgive herself," Killian supplied.

"It hurt Ma a lot," Neal supplied. "Especially when she had to leave Bae with you."

Rumpelstiltskin frowned. "She didn't have to leave at all. She could have told me." He looked at Neal. "I would have helped her find you."

Neal gave a bitter smile. "She would never have done that."

"Milah hated living in that village," Killian supplied.

"She hated me," Rumpelstiltskin voiced the elephant in the room.

"She hated being tied down," Neal supplied. He gesture to Killian. "Killian came across me in a village near the coast. It was by complete accident that he found me."

"Milah was back on the Jolly Roger," Killian explained. "She was beginning to lose hope that we would ever find Beltane."

"That's my full name," Neal supplied at the confused looks. "Bae called me Tane for short."

"I never thought the two of you would meet on Neverland," Killian sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Neal snorted. "Well," he began, "we didn't exactly meet in the best of situations."

The group was quite for a moment. Emma sighed suddenly. Snow shifted, leaning up against her husband's side. Killian continued to lean up against the cave wall, looking frustrated. Regina looked extremely troubled.

"How did you two meet?" the Dark One asked.

Emma watched a look of pain cross Neal's face. He sighed heavily, burying his face in his hands.

"When I first got to this island, I didn't know what was going on. Pan tricked me, saying that the shadow took me from the Jolly Roger because I was in danger." A bitter look crossed his face. "One way or another, I ended up becoming his Third in Command, right after Felix. I was completely blind to what was really going on."

"What happened?" Snow asked after a few minutes of silence.

"…Pan sent me out one day, to look for a rogue Lost Boy. I was one of his best trackers. What really caught my attention was the fact that he told me to _kill_ the rogue, instead of bringing him back to Pan, like the rest of the Lost Boys." Neal was quiet for a moment, his jaw working feverously. He sighed as he ran a hand roughly through his hair. "It's my fault Bae couldn't get off the island."

"How so?" Regina asked.

"I shot him with an arrow coated in Dreamshade," he supplied quietly. "I didn't know who he was!" he supplied quickly, seeing the look of shock on everyone's face. "When I cornered him, he was wearing a cloak. I couldn't see his face."

"I take it that's when you turned against Pan?" Killian asked.

Neal nodded. "It took a little while for us to be able to fully trust each other. A couple hundred years, Neverland time, at least."

Silence fell around the cave. Emma gently reached out and put a hand on Neal's shoulder. She gave it a comforting squeeze, silently showing her friend her support. Neal gave her a small smile in thanks. Rumpelstiltskin sighed heavily. He bowed his head, shielding his face away from the people around him. He didn't want them to see his tears. He silently told himself he shouldn't care what these people thought. He had spent the last three centuries looking for his son! Even though he had found one, he had lost the other.

"What do we do now?" Snow asked quietly.

"Is there a place where they bury the dead?" Charming asked.

Rumple sent the man a half-hearted glare. He understood what the other man was trying to say but he couldn't push his hurt away enough to care. His little boy was dead! It hurt just _thinking_ about it, let alone thinking about his body!

"Hold the phone!" Regina said suddenly.

"Hold the what?" Hook asked, confused.

Regina waved him off in favor of turning to her old mentor. "Your son has magic!"

"Had," Gold corrected emotionlessly.

" _Has_!" Regina countered. "You above all else should _know_ that magic is linked to the caster!"

"Of course it is!" the Dark One snapped. "Magic is apart of their very soul!"

"Then you're not thinking right!" Regina snapped back. "You're letting your grief cloud your knowledge!"

"My son is _dead_!" he growled. "I'm sorry if I'm not thinking clearly!" he replied sarcastically.

Regina sighed in frustration. She walked forward and snatched the orb out of Gold's hand. She held it up for him to see.

"This is your son's magic!" she stated. "Your son's very _soul_ is tied to this!" She paused for a moment, looking down at the orb. "I have to admit, this is _very complex_ magic. Definitely something _I_ could never produce." She looked at Gold. "Probably not even you."

Gold shook his head. "That magic is far beyond anything I could learn." There was an enormous amount of pride in his voice. "It took just about everything I had to activate the recording."

"Then _think_!" Regina insisted, bending down to eye level with the Dark One. "Even as powerful as this spell is, magic cannot last forever!"

"Of course not!" Rumpelstiltskin countered, becoming increasingly tired of his former student's attitude. "Magic only lasts as long as the caster!"

Regina smiled suddenly, her red lips stretching across her teeth. "Exactly."

A look of confusion passed across Rumpelstiltskin's face. It was quickly replaced with a look of realization.

"Of course!" he whispered, gently taking the glass orb from Regina. "Why didn't I see it?"

"You were letting your grief take over," Regina said. "You always told me to keep a level head."

Rumple chuckled to himself. "You're right," he admitted, staring at the orb in wonder.

"You've both officially lost me!" Emma said suddenly, frustrated. "What are they talking about?" she asked Neal.

Neal frowned. "I don't know," he replied. "Bae was the magic expert, not me."

"Magic is linked to the caster," Regina explained. "It will only last as long as the caster is _alive_." She looked around at the group. "If Baelfire is actually dead, that orb should _not_ have worked, at all. It doesn't matter _how_ powerful a person's magic is. It will disappear as soon as the caster dies."

"He's alive," Neal whispered, bringing a hand up to his face. He blinked away the tears that clung to his eyes. "He's alive!" he repeated, sounding completely relieved.

"I guess Pan didn't think _that_ through," Snow said, a smile on her face. "Now we have two people we _need_ to find."

"Bae can help us," Neal replied, standing up suddenly. "If we find my brother, he can find Henry!"

"How are we going to find him?" Charming asked.

"I can track his magic," Regina said, pointing down to the glass orb.

Neal shook his head. "That won't work. Bae created multiple orbs, at least thirty. Half of those hold a copy of his aura and are scattered across the island."

"Damn it!" Regina sighed.

"It was something we had to do," Neal replied. "Pan was always trying to stop us." He grinned suddenly. "We were a constant thorn in his side."

"Where did he learn to do all that?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, completely floored.

Neal shrugged. "He just knew. He didn't even know how he knew. We would just be working on something and he would suddenly have the answer."

"How long has he been on this island?" Emma asked.

"Enchanted Forest time, about three hundred years, give or take. Neverland…" Neal paused to mentally calculate. "Probably closer to twelve hundred."

"Holy hell," Charming muttered.

"Four to one ratio," Hook answered. "I managed to leave Neverland before your curse was cast," he supplied, pointing to Regina. "Baelfire's been on this island longer."

"So," Emma began, looking at Neal. "How do we find your twin?"

Neal was quiet. "I'm not sure."

"Do you have a map of the island?" Regina asked.

Neal looked up and nodded. He walked over to the table and shuffled through the papers. He quickly produced an aging paper and laid it on the ground. Regina conjured a needle and looked at Neal.

"I need some of your blood."

"The orbs…" Neal began,

Regina waved him off. "The orbs use his _aura_ , not his blood. This should bypass that. It will also show us Henry."

"Why not use Papa's blood?" he asked.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Because the two of you are _twins_. Identical twins at that. Your DNA is an extremely close match. It will be almost as effective as using his own blood."

Neal didn't hesitate. He held his hand out for Regina, who quickly pricked his finger, letting the blood drop onto the paper. Emma handed Neal a clean cloth as Regina waved her hand over the map. Within moments, the blood spread out, breaking off into two different branches, before stopping completely.

"That's Pan's camp," Neal supplied, pointing to one of the trails. He shifted his gaze to the other, which was located next to a lagoon on the other side of the island. "And that's near the mermaids," he hissed. "Shit!"

"I take it they're bad?" Emma asked.

"Very," Neal replied. "They are Pan's allies."

"So," Charming said, staring at the map. "Which is which?"

"I don't know," Neal replied. "Both are not in very ideal locations for rescuing." He huffed in frustration. He eyed the map, his mind going into overdrive. "Ok, Tane," he whispered to himself. "You've been in this situation before. Don't panic."

"You have?" Regina asked, surprised.

"Minus the part about Henry," Neal confirmed. "Pan managed to capture Bae once. He found a way to temporarily block his magic."

"Squid ink?" Rumpelstiltskin guessed.

Neal nodded. "I had to perform and impromptu rescue mission." He grinned sheepishly. "It almost ended in disaster."

"Reminds me of that wedding we crashed," Emma said, a grin on her face.

Neal returned the grin. He shook his head, quickly returning to the topic at hand. He looked back at the map. A thoughtful look crossed his face. He pointed to the Camp. "My guess is that Henry is here," he supplied. "But, he could also be near the lagoon, especially if he ran."

"What if Pan has your brother captive again?" Snow asked. "Wouldn't he have been here?"

Neal hummed lightly, thinking. "Normally, yes, Bae would have been here. I think you might be right," he admitted, a bitter taste in his mouth. "Pan would want to keep him close."

"Squid ink doesn't last a long time," Rumpelstiltskin frowned. "How would he keep him stationary?" He looked to Neal. "Would Pan be able to keep Bae in one place?"

Neal shook his head. "That's what has me stumped. By the time I left, Bae had more magic than Pan. Why would he not have broken out?"

"What if he can't?" Snow asked, some form of realization passing across her face. "What if Pan found a way to keep him there, even with his magic?"

"How?" Regina asked, before pausing for a moment. "How powerful is your brother, exactly?" she asked Neal.

"On Neverland, Pan's powers are double those of the Dark One," Gold supplied. He looked to his son. "You said that Bae was more powerful than Pan?" Neal nodded. "By how much?"

"At least three times stronger," Neal supplied easily.

Regina's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. Rumpelstiltskin looked impressed.

"How?" Regina asked.

Neal shrugged. "Our best guess is that he has a natural affiliation with magic. We've discussed the subject from time to time but we could never really find an answer."

"Practice and time are definitely key factors," Gold supplied. He frowned. "But Pan is at his strongest when he is on this island. No one should be able to surpass him."

Neal sighed. "We talked about that as well. We don't know how Baelfire became stronger but he did. Annoyed the shit out of Pan," he said with a smile.

"So how does one keep a person as powerful as that in check?" Regina wondered.

"Blackmail?" Emma threw out there.

Neal shook his head. "I was the only leverage that Pan had over Bae. As soon as I left the island, Pan lost that leverage."

"There is one way to subdue a person," Snow said cautiously. She looked up, meeting the eyes of every person in the cave. She hesitated for a moment. "A sleeping curse."

"You're right," Regina sighed, pushing her hair back.

"So, Baelfire's probably at the Camp, being closely guarded," Hook said, breaking the silence that Regina's confirmation had brought. "Which means Henry's near the Mermaid's Lagoon."

"We're going to need help," Neal sighed.

"Who?" Emma asked.

"Tiger Lily," Neal supplied, eyeing the peninsula that was located near the lagoon.

~~Hope~~

"Peter!"

Peter Pan looked up from the map he had been studying. He raised an eyebrow as a young girl ran into camp, her light brown hair trailing behind her.

"What's wrong, Wendy?" he asked, taking in the slightly panicked look on her face.

"We've got a problem."

Pan raised an eyebrow. "I can tell."

Wendy gave him a look, causing him to snicker. "What's the problem?"

"Greg and Tamara," she supplied. "They've been talking to a rogue fairy. She told them about the Heart of Neverland."

Pan stopped. He looked up from his map, panic and urgency barely masked in his dark brown eyes. "Who's the rogue?"

Wendy was silent for a moment. "Morgan. Morgan Le Fay."

Pan sighed heavily. Mentally cursing himself for not kicking the Fae off his island earlier, he turned to his Second in Command. "Malcolm."

Malcolm looked over, his dark green eyes meeting Pan's dark brown ones. He immediately saw the urgency in his eyes and walked over immediately. "What's wrong?"

"Our two little kidnappers know about the Heart," Pan explained. "I need you to go to the Lagoon and get Henry. Bring him back here immediately. Get Ariel to help, if you must." Malcolm nodded and quickly departed. "Felix," Pan yelled, gaining the attention of his Lieutenant. "I need you to get Tinker Bell and have her and the Elder Fae meet me here." He turned back to Wendy, not even checking to make sure Felix left. "I need you to go and inform Tiger Lily what's going on." He stopped, looking around the Camp, meeting the eyes of all the Lost Boys. "Game's over," he said calmly, his voice carrying. "We're going to war."

 **I'm putting the Author's Note at the bottom of the chapter this time round. It has been brought to my attention that some of this story is confusing. I am sorry but that is actually how it is supposed to be. If you have any confusion, please don't hesitate to contact me. I will try to answer to the best of my ability, without spoiling the plot. Things should be getting clearer from this point on.**

 **All of you Henry fans, don't worry. He will be making an appearance in the next chapter. Please let me know what you think of the story thus far. It is a little different from my previous stories, especially with the information that was revealed in this chapter. Again, I hope you have enjoyed this story thus far. As always, please review.**

 **KleopatraAlexandria**


	4. Searching

Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

 **Author's Note: I am so sorry for the late update. Things have happened. My laptop charger broke and I had to wait for a new one to come in. Of course, when it broke, I didn't have but about 30% battery level. But, life happens. Please Read and Review. Enjoy this next chapter.**

Chapter Four: Searching

Henry sighed as he watched the mermaids swim around. He shook his head as one of Ariel's sisters dunked the other in the water, leading to a chase. Henry turned his attention to the mute mermaid beside him. Ariel had been one of the people that helped him about six years ago. The red head turned and gave the eleven year old a brilliant grin, her seas green eyes sparkling with mirth and happiness, completely different from the first time he had meet her.

"How had everyone been?" Henry asked.

Ariel smiled and pulled herself up on the sand, sitting next to Henry. WELL, she wrote with her finger.

Henry smiled. "Has Malcolm been giving Peter any trouble?"

NOT RECENTLY. HE DID AT FIRST, ALMOST CONSTANTLY. PETER THREATENED TO THROW HIM OFF THE ISLAND IF HE CONTINUED.

Henry hummed. He smiled, thinking back to his time on Neverland. He paused, recalling something. He turned to Ariel. "How long have you know Peter?"

PETER NOW OR PETER THEN?

"Peter now. Beltane," he answered.

Ariel gave him a confused look. I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR CLOSE TO EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS BUT HIS NAME ISN'T BELTANE.

Henry frowned. He slapped himself on the forehead. "Duh," he said. "He told me he couldn't tell me his real name. Malcolm was looking for him then."

Ariel smiled. I'M NOT SURPRISED. HE HAD TO KEEP HIS NAME HIDDEN. IT WAS THE ONLY WAY MALCOLM COULD FIND HIM.

"What's his real name?" Henry asked.

Ariel didn't get to answer. The bushes rustled, sending Ariel on high alert. She wrapped her hand around Henry's wrist, ready to pull him way from the threat.

"Are you two talking about me?" Malcolm asked with a grin as he stepped out of the bushes. Ariel visibly deflated, throwing Malcolm a dirty look.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked.

Malcolm was quiet for a moment. "Morgan's gone rogue."

Henry flinched, remembering the crazy Fairy from before.

"What's worse is she's told Greg and Tamara about the Heart."

Henry frowned. "What heart? Mine?" he asked.

Malcolm shook his head. "Neverland's Heart. It's what's keeping the island alive."

Henry felt as though someone had injected ice into his veins. "If Neverland dies…"

"Pan dies," Malcolm finished. "We have to get you back to Camp." He turned to Ariel. "Can you help us?"

Ariel nodded. She quickly pulled her legs up onto the shore. With a flick of her wrist, her fin became a pair of legs, with a skirt the color of her fin covering her. She stood quickly and linked arms with the two. Within seconds, the trio was gone, leaving behind Ariel's sisters, who simply waved.

~~Searching~~

 _Henry slide to a halt, nearly tumbling over the edge of the cliff. Tane grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back. Tane held the five year old close, quietly listening for noises. He shifted himself in front of Henry, bending down._

" _Climb on my back," he whispered._

 _Henry wasted no time to reply. His heart felt as if it was going to beat out of his chest. He quickly climbed on Tane's back just as a beautiful young woman stepped out._

" _Leaving so soon?" she asked, her rhythmic voice falling in waves on Henry's ears. The five year old bit his lip._

" _Hello Morgan," Tane replied, his face shifting into a smile. But there was nothing warm about it. It was like the older boy was wearing a calm, cool, and collected mask. If Henry couldn't feel the teen's heartbeat through his back, he might have believed it. Morgan frowned, her pretty, pixie features looking disgruntled. Her long, dark hair tumbled in waves down her shoulders. Her sea foam green eyes shined bright in the darkly lit area. She had the appearance of a fifteen-year-old girl but the aura of someone much older and just as dangerous._

 _She pouted suddenly, her red paint never once smearing. "Why are you running away?" she asked, crossing her arms. "I can help you."_

" _I'll want your help when Hell freezes over," Tane hissed, his arms tightening their hold on Henry._

 _Morgan raised an eyebrow. "I can get you off this island, you know," she said sadly. "I can get you to_ him. _All I need is your and the little one's help."_

" _Not going to happen," Tane snapped. "Hold on, Henry," he whispered urgently._

 _Henry tightened his grip around Tane's neck and closed his eyes. Beltane turned and jumped right off the cliff. Henry heard Morgan scream as the wind rushed past his ears, almost deafening him. The pair was airborne for a moment before they hit the surface of the water. They both popped up, gasping for the much needed air. Tane quickly wrapped an arm around Henry and swam towards the shore. They hadn't even made it a few feet before Henry's form began to flicker._

" _I'm waking up," he said, gaining Tane's attention._

 _Tane nodded. "Go. I'll meet you back at the cave the next time you visit."_

 _Henry nodded before disappearing. As soon as he was gone, Tane swam towards the shore, only stopping to catch his breath when the sand crunched beneath him. He laid on the shore, turning onto his back. He stared up at the starless sky, tears filling his eyes. He smiled suddenly, stretching his hand up, reaching for the moon._

" _I hope you're safe, Tane," he whispered. "Wherever you are."_

~~Search~~

"Are we even sure Tiger Lily will help us?" Hook asked.

"She'll help," Neal confirmed.

"Were you the green cloaked figure?" Emma asked, remembering the story.

Neal shook his head. "That was Bae."

Hook's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. "Bloody hell," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "How did he survive that? The bullet should have killed him."

Rumpelstiltskin stopped and turned to Hook. "What?" he whispered.

"It's ok, Papa," Neal said, cutting off the Dark One's angry retort. "The bullet didn't even touch him."

"How?" Regina asked. "Magic?"

Neal shook his head. He stopped suddenly, taking ahold of a dark green leaf. "This is a Knitx Tree. Their native to Neverland." He pulled a knife out and stabbed the leaf. Or at least he attempted to. As soon as the knife hit the leaf, it slide off.

Emma blinked in surprise. "The hell?" she asked, walking forward.

"The tree has a defense mechanism," he supplied, showing the group the leaf. "Nothing can cut through the leaf's fibers, only if it is running perpendicular to them." He pointed out the lines of the leaf. "If you hit it parallel," he said as he cut through the leave, "the leaf gives."

"Did he make a patch-work cloak out of the leaves?" Regina guessed.

"That still wouldn't hold," Killian countered. "The fibers of the plant are what makes it strong. A bullet can easily pass in between the fibers."

Neal nodded. "We thought about that. We were trying to find something that would repeal the Dreamshade coated arrows that the Lost Boys were always firing at us." He put his knife away and pulled the leaf apart. The group watched as the fibers of the leaf began to unravel,

"It looks like thread," Snow commented.

"Yep," Neal replied, pulling on the 'thread' some more. He grinned at the group. "Why do you think Bae build a spinner's wheel?"

A lightbulb went off above Rumpelstiltskin's head. "Of course," he whispered. "He didn't sow the fibers. He wove them."

Regina raised an impressed eyebrow. "Damn," she whispered. "Where did he learn to do that?"

"Where do you think I learned how to spin straw into gold, dearie?" Rumpelstiltskin asked. "I was a spinner before I was the Dark One. I taught Bae all he needed to know from the time he was a little child."

"A bullet would still get through, though. The weaving wouldn't hold if the bullet hit between the knitting," Charming commented. "How did he figure that one out?"

"Layering," Neal supplied. "He layered the cloak three times, strengthening the binding. There was no way a bullet could get through."

"I'm still a little lost," Emma commented. "How would it not pass through?"

"The fibers of the leaves are what makes it strong," Neal answered as he resumed walking. "They are unbreakable, almost like the plant is made of steel."

"Wouldn't that get hot?" Regina asked.

Neal shook his head. "Even though the cloak was woven, the plant fibers allowed air to pass through."

"Handy," Emma commented.

Neal fell quiet suddenly. He looked up ahead, watching through the trees. "We've got company," he said.

The group suddenly stopped, watching around them. Regina conjured a fireball, her eyes looking around cautiously. Everyone was on their guard as two people walked out of the trees, heading right in their direction.

"Oh, goodness," one of them commented, her hand on her chest.

"What is it?" the other asked, waking to stand next to her.

"Tiger Lily?" Neal asked, taking in the sight of the dark-skinned girl.

Emma blinked in surprise. "This is Tiger Lily?"

The young woman was at least seventeen with long legs and arms, wrapped in a short moccasin dress. Her attire and skin color matched the Native American theme but her hair and eyes ruined the image. Snow white hair fell straight down her back with multiple eagle feathers braided in place. Her eyes were a bright orange, the same color as her name sake. A splash of dark brown freckles painted her nose and cheeks.

The other girl beside her was younger by a year or two. She was dressed like a pirate, with her legs clad in black leather breeches and boots. A white linen blouse covered her chest and the sleeves ended at her elbows. A saber rested on her waist. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a red bandana, with a black pirates hat nestles on top. Her bright blue eyes watched the group with interest.

"Who are you?" the other girl asked.

Tiger Lily blinked in surprise. She walked forward. "Beltane?" she whispered.

Neal nodded. Tiger Lily laughed and ran towards Neal. He meet her halfway, the two sharing a friendly embrace as the other girl blinked, completely stunned.

"Beltane? As in Bae's brother?" she asked, shocked.

"The one and only," Tiger Lily replied. She stepped back, her bare feet crunching the leaves and twigs. She walked around Neal, looking him up and down. "Time certainly was good to you," she replied.

"We need your help," he said suddenly.

"We?" she asked. She looked back at the group, surveying each person carefully. Her eyes came to rest on Hook, where they narrowed slightly.

"Hello Captain," she said coolly.

"Chief," Hook replied, with a bow, holding his palm to the sky in a peaceful greeting. "I apologize for our last meeting."

Some of the ice in Tiger Lily's eyes faded a little. She turned back to Neal. "What do you need help with?"

"Pan has my son," he replied. "I need to get him back."

"Your son?" the other girl asked, confused.

"Henry," Emma supplied.

The girl blinked in surprise. "The Truest Believer?" she whispered.

"Yes," Regina replied. "Pan had Greg and Tamara kidnapped him."

"But Peter wouldn't have…" She stopped for a moment, her face turning white. "Morgan," she whispered, horrified.

Tiger Lily turned back to her. "What?!"

"We were trying to figure out how Greg and Tamara knew about Henry," the girl continued, a hand playing nervously with the gold hoops in her ear. "The Lost Boys didn't know what Henry looked like, not after Bae casted that spell." She paused in thought. "Morgan must have contacted them somehow. That's the only way they could have known about Henry." She looked at Tiger Lily. "We have to get back to Camp."

Tiger Lily immediately reached into her satchel and pulled out a glowing gold stone.

"Hold up!" Regina said, walking forward. "Pan came directly to us and basically confirmed what we just told you!"

The girl rolled her eyes. "That was Malcolm."

"That was Pan," Neal countered. "I'd recognize him anywhere."

The girl shook her head. "That wasn't Pan."

"How would you know?" Hook asked.

The pirate girl raised an elegant eyebrow. "Because I work for the real Peter Pan." She held her hand out for Hook. "Name's Wendy. Wendy Darling."

"Wendy?" Neal asked, shocked. "Bae said you were in London!"

Wendy nodded. "I was. I followed Bae a couple of years later, along with Michael and John. We were captured by Pan. He wanted to use us as leverage later but that didn't happen."

"What is going on here?" Emma asked, frustrated.

"I'll explain everything later. It is vital we get back to Camp," Wendy said, holding up the stone. "Malcolm has probably gotten Henry back there by now."

"How do we know he won't hurt him?" Regina asked.

Wendy sighed heavily. "Malcolm doesn't have any magic. He _can't_ hurt Henry. Peter would never allow it."

"You're still talking like they are two different people," Hook countered.

"That's because they are. Peter Pan is a name, a title; not a person." Wendy rubbed her temples. "Look. I swear I will answer everything at Camp. But we need to _go_!"

"Start walking then," Emma replied, her arms crossed over her chest.

Wendy rolled her eyes and held up the stone. "We'll use this. It has a teleportation spell on it."

"But—" Regina began.

"We. Don't. Have. Time!" Wendy hissed. "We need to leave! Now!" She paused, changing tactics. "Don't you want to see Henry?"

Emma blinked. "Of course."

Wendy held out the stone. "Then trust me!"

~~Searching~~

" _How can you trust me?" 'Beltane' asked Henry, as the five year old sat in front of the fire, humming lightly. "You just meet me."_

 _Henry stopped humming and looked up at the teenager. He shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "I just do."_

' _Beltane' frowned but refrained from commenting. He sighed, drawing his knees up to his chest and stared into the fire. Henry was wrapped up in a wool blanket he had woven years ago, using the left over wool from his old clothes that he brought with him from London. 'Beltane' exhaled slowly, laying his head on his knees. It was times like this when he desperately wished he was off this godforsaken island. If he was completely honest with himself, it really wasn't the island that he hated. It was the crazy tycoon that ran the place._

" _I always thought Peter Pan was supposed to be the good guy," Henry commented suddenly, watching him with strangely familiar brown eyes._

' _Beltane' frowned. "What makes you say that?" he asked._

" _The stories," Henry replied. "Pan's always the good guy, fighting against Captain Hook."_

' _Beltane' could barely keep the flinch down at the Pirate's name. "You shouldn't always believe stories," he replied bitterly. "They don't always turn out the way you think."_

" _No," Henry replied, smile still in place. "They don't. But you can always work to change things."_

' _Beltane' frowned. "What do you mean?"_

 _Henry sat forward in excitement. "What if we were to take Pan down?" he whispered._

 _The teenager frowned. He shook his head slowly. "That won't happen."_

 _Henry frowned. "Why not?"_

" _I'm doing all I can to stay alive on this island, Henry," 'Beltane' explained. "There is only so much I can take."_ And only so long I can go on _, he thought to himself. He didn't want Henry to hear his depressed thoughts._

" _I know you can do it!" Henry replied, motivated. "If anyone can, it's you!"_

" _How can you be so sure?" he asked, his eyes bright in the fire. "How do you know I can beat him?"_

" _Because you already have," Henry whispered. Even though his voice was quiet, 'Beltane' could still hear it loud and clear. "You've been fighting him this long."_

' _Beltane' shook his head. "You don't even know how long I've been here," he whispered._

" _I can tell it's been a long time," Henry replied. He grinned at the raised eyebrow he was getting. "Your eyes. They're the eyes of someone who has seen a lot. You don't have eyes like that and not be somewhere for a while."_

' _Beltane' sat in shock for a moment. This kid could tell that much just by looking at his_ eyes?

" _Besides," Henry continued. "I believe in you."_

 _He sat there stunned for a moment. A warmth spread throughout his body, reaching all the way to his fingers and toes. He bent his head, tears gathering at the edges. He swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat._

" _Thank you," he replied._

 _It had been a long time since someone had believed in him._

~~Searching~~

"Where is Morgan now?" Pan asked Tinker Bell, pushing the hood of his dark green cloak back.

"We don't know," Tink said, gesturing between herself and the Elder Fae, an elderly woman who acted as the guide to all younger fairies on Neverland. "She's disappeared."

Pan hummed lightly, looking down at the map of Neverland. He waved his hand, using his magic to search all the inhabitants of the island. Before long, a silver dot began to flash over the caves. "She's in the Hollows," he replied. He smirked. "Clever girl," he whispered. He looked over, staring at the floating shadow beside him. "Scout her out," he commanded. The Shadow took off, not needing to be told twice.

"We're back!" Malcolm yelled as he, Henry, and Ariel walked into the circle.

"Good," he breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled at Henry. "How was your time with the mermaids?"

Henry grinned. "It was good."

Pan nodded and turned back to Ariel. "Do you think you can get Ursula to help?"

Ariel nodded with a smile. She gave a pageant wave before she disappeared, leaving behind the smell of saltwater. Pan turned his attention back to Henry when he felt a tug on his sleeve.

"You never told me your real name," he frowned.

Pan blinked in surprise. "I didn't, did I?"

"Who's Beltane?" Henry asked.

Pan smiled sadly. "My twin brother," he answered.

"You're going to love the next part," Malcolm said with a Cheshire grin. Pan raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response. "Tane's back in Neverland."

Pan froze, watching his predecessor closely. "What?"

Malcolm nodded. "He's back. I saw him for myself."

"How?"

Malcolm nodded at Henry. "He came with the Storybrooke Rescue Rangers." He grinned suddenly. "You will _never_ believe who he is!"

Pan suddenly looked up, as if something startled him. He held up a hand to Malcolm, signaling for him to wait. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, disappearing up the tree and into his Tree House.

"Henry!"

The eleven year old turned and saw both of his mothers standing off not far from him.

"Mom!" he grinned before running over to the two and hugging them furiously.

Emma sighed in relief, running a hand over her son's hair. Both women stepped back for a moment, looking over the boy for any injuries. Henry rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine," he said, shaking his head at the two.

"Henry?" he heard a familiar voice whisper. Henry quickly turned his attention to the voice.

"Dad?!"

Neal grinned and Henry bolted, immediately throwing himself into his dad's arms. The Truest Believe didn't even fight the tears that ran down his face, leaving streams and rivers. He only cared about the warm arms around him, holding him close.

"Hey, buddy," Neal whispered, choked up as well.

"We need to leave," Regina said suddenly.

Henry pulled away from his father's embrace, looking at his adopted mother. "We can't leave!" he said. "Peter needs our help."

Regina frowned.

Hook stepped forward. "Pan doesn't need our help, lad."

Henry shook his head. "Yes, he does. Morgan is trying to find the Heart. We need to help stop her."

"Why should we help someone that arranged for you to be kidnapped?" Regina asked.

Wendy sighed loudly. "I _told_ you. Morgan was the one who hired those two idiots. Not Peter."

"You could just be saying that," Regina countered hotly. "You work for him, after all."

"Mom," Henry said sternly, cutting off the argument before it could even begin. "Peter isn't trying to hurt me. He's my friend."

Malcolm muttered something under his breath and began to snicker to himself.

"What are you laughing for?" Regina snapped.

Malcolm shook his head. "It's nothing. Just an inside joke," he grinned.

Henry raised an eyebrow but Malcolm failed to elaborate. "You will all find out soon enough." He looked up at the Tree House and frowned. "I'm going to check on Pan. He's taking too long."

Pan's Second quickly climbed up the tree, disappearing from view.

Regina sighed heavily through her nose. She looked at Henry. "Are you sure we can trust him?"

Henry nodded without hesitation. "I trust him with my life."

Regina sigh again, softly this time. She turned to look at Wendy. "When can we meet Pan?"

Wendy looked up at the Tree House. "As soon as he and Malcolm finish speaking together."

"I guess we just wait?" Snow asked hesitantly.

Wendy nodded with a smile. "I'll get you all something to drink." The leather clad teen walked off, leaving the group to their own devices.

Neal sighed, rubbing his forehead. "It's been years since I've been in Camp," he said lowly, looking around at the Lost Boys. A majority of them he recognized. They waved heartily at him, their grins stretching from ear to ear. He returned the waves with a little confusion. He turned to find Emma raising a questioning eyebrow at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Neal looked back at the Lost Boys. "We didn't exactly part on good terms," he explained. "I'm a little shocked that they are even acknowledging me."

"Why wouldn't they?" Malcolm asked as he landed on the ground, his knees bent to keep himself from getting hurt.

"Because you keep them on a tight leash," Neal replied.

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "How many times are you going to have to be told that I am not Pan anymore? You would think that you would get it by now."

"How does that even work?" Regina asked.

Malcolm raised an eyebrow. "Peter Pan is a title-"

"Yes, we know!" Rumple snapped. "How?!"

Malcolm gave his a miffed look. "If you would let me finish," he said, clearly not amused. Everyone quietly waited for an answer. "Peter Pan is a title. I became Pan when I first came to this island and claimed it. I lost the title when it was claimed by someone else."

"So anyone can just walk up and claim the island?" Emma asked.

"Doesn't work like that," Malcolm countered. "Three things are needed." He held up a finger. "First, the challenger has to have stronger magic that the current Pan." A second finger joined the first. "Next, the challenger has to locate the Heart of Neverland. The current title holder would have hidden it." A third finger joined the rest. "Lastly, you need a very strong belief."

"And you expect us to believe that the current Peter Pan was able to possess all three?" Snow White asked.

"That and more," Malcolm replied.

"Is that why Henry trusts the current Pan?" Emma asked suddenly. "Because he was the one that helped with the belief requirement?"

Malcolm grinned. "I see you put that together. To answer your question, yes, Henry, as the Truest Believer, helped the current Pan gain control of the island from me. There is no belief stronger than his."

"And that's why Henry wants us to help him," Regina said.

Henry grinned. "Peter is my friend. I used to come to Neverland in dreams and meet him here."

Neal suddenly looked up. He walked forward, placing his hands on his son's shoulders. "Did you meet anyone else while you were here?" he asked quietly.

Henry nodded. "Lots of people."

Emma saw Neal's eyes brighten a little. Even the Dark One looked hopeful.

"I need you to listen to me, Henry," he said calmly. "Did you ever meet anyone here by the name of Baelfire?"

Henry frowned. "I thought that was your name."

Neal grimaced. He shook his head. "It's not. I took my brother's name."

Henry looked surprised. "You have a brother?"

Neal nodded. "Yea, I do. He's my twin. We meet here on Neverland." He paused for a moment. "We got separated when I left."

Henry frowned again. "Then what is your real name?"

Neal looked down for a moment. He looked back up at his son. "My name is Beltane."

" _Who's Beltane?"_

 _Pan smiled sadly. "My twin brother," he answered._

Henry stepped back, his eyes widening slightly. Behind him, Malcolm tried and failed to stiff his laughter. Henry looked back at him, his shock as clear as day. "What?" he asked, looking back at his dad.

"Henry?" Regina asked in concern. Emma and Neal shared a worried look.

"You knew!" Henry accused. The look of mirth on his face showed that he wasn't angry, just amused.

"Which part are you referring to?" he asked with a snicker.

"All of it!"

Malcolm laughed out loud this time. "I knew that Baelfire and Beltane were brothers, yes," he replied when he had calmed down enough. "I didn't know until today that you were Beltane's son."

"No wonder Henry and Peter get along so well," Wendy replied with a chuckle.

"I'm officially lost," Charming said as he looked around. He turned to his wife. "Are you catching any of this?"

"Nothing at all," Snow replied, looking just as confused as her husband.

"Could someone fill us in?" the Dark One asked, his patients growing thin.

"What's going on?"

The group turned and saw a young man dressed in a dark green cloak. The hood was up, shadowing his features. Regina resisted the urge to step back. Magic rolled off of him in powerful waves, sinking into the island around them.

"Did you know?" Henry asked suddenly, bounding over to the figure in excitement.

The person in the cloak bent down, drawing himself to eye level with Henry. "Know what?"

Henry leaned forward and began to whisper something into his ear.

"Who's that?" Regina asked.

"Peter Pan," Tiger Lily replied.

Emma frowned. Something about Pan sent up a flag to her. It wasn't a danger type of flag but rather one that signaled that she _knew_ him from somewhere.

"What?!"

She looked back over and saw Henry grinning from ear to ear while Pan seemed to be staring at him. His head turned to look at their group as Henry ran back over, throwing his arms around both Emma and Neal's waists. Emma stumbled a little but managed to keep her eyes on Pan. Even though Henry seemed to trust him, Emma wasn't too keen to jump on the bandwagon so soon.

Pan hesitated for a moment. He slowly walked forward, his gaze never wandering from the group. He stopped suddenly, putting about ten feet in between himself and them.

"So," Regina said, watching the cloaked figure closely. "You're Peter Pan?"

Emma could barely make out the smile from the shadows of the cloak.

"I am," he replied.

"Who were you before?" Charming asked, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Pan turned his attention to the sword. With a flick of his wrist, the sword disappeared. It reappeared in the tree above their heads. "I don't appreciate being threatened," he replied.

"It's okay, Gramps," Henry said. "He won't hurt anyone."

"How can you trust him, Henry?" Regina asked.

Neal mental asked the same question. He frowned suddenly, taking in the appearance of the teenager before them. Something about him was extremely familiar. It was bugging the hell out of him. It was only when identical brown eyes meet his from the shadows of the cloak that he understood.

"Bae," he whispered, accidently gaining everyone's attention.

"I don't see him," Snow commented as she looked around the Camp.

Neal didn't notice any of them, however. His eyes stayed on the figure in front of them. The person smiled again. Neal laughed suddenly, startling everyone.

"Neal?" Emma asked, concern clear in her voice. "Are you ok?"

"I'm great," he replied, a large grin still on his face.

"Are you sure?" Regina asked. "Because I am pretty sure you have lost your marbles."

"He can't lose something he hasn't had," the cloak figure replied teasingly.

"Hey!" Neal shouted playfully.

"I am officially lost," Emma concluded.

The cloaked figure chuckled suddenly. He shook his head lightly, knocking the hood back. Emma saw Hook and Rumpelstiltskin take a step back in her peripheral. She could do nothing but stare. The young man before them hadn't aged a single day from the recording they had seen in the orb. His dark brown eyes were definitely warmer than before, holding hope and life in them comfortably. His dark curly hair was the same length, albeit a little messy from the hood. He looked healthier, his skin not as pale or sick looking as before.

Standing in front of them was Neal's missing twin: Baelfire.


End file.
